Local Fauna

Featuring beloved New Yorker covers, iconic animated characters, and more, this definitive monograph celebrates the remarkable career of acclaimed illustrator and character designer Peter de Sève.

Spanning more than four decades, de Sève's work has appeared across magazines, books, advertising, Broadway posters, and some of the most beloved animated films of all time. Best known for his many covers for The New Yorker and his character designs for the blockbuster Ice Age franchise, including the unforgettable Scrat, de Sève has also contributed to films such as Finding Nemo, Robots, The Little Prince, and The Grinch.

Local Fauna gathers de Sève's most iconic illustrations and character designs alongside sketchbooks, personal work, and fan-favorite drawings shared across social media. Richly illustrated throughout, the volume offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the creative process, tracing projects from their earliest concepts through finished artwork and revealing the artistry, humor, and storytelling that define de Sève's work.

The book also includes an introduction by writer, illustrator, and character designer Carter Goodrich and an in-depth interview with Bill Watterson, the legendary creator of Calvin & Hobbes, as well as essays by The New Yorker art director Françoise Mouly; Academy Award winning director and animator Glen Keane; comic artist and creator of Hellboy Mike Mignola; and New York Times bestselling picture book author Randall de Sève.